Natsu Dragneel and the 5 Smiles of Lucy Heartfilia
by The Wisdom of Me
Summary: Natsu knew that his partner had smiles. Five smiles, to be exact. And he was going to find out what each and every one of those smiles meant. All. By. Himself.
1. The Five Smiles

**Disclaimer: No, no I don't consider myself to be the owner of this wonderful, brilliant set of characters and their world, but I do consider myself to be one of the very angry readers if everything does not go as I plan. *non menacing smiley face* :)**

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**Natsu Dragneel and the Five Smiles of Lucy Heartfilia**

It may come as a shock to most of the people that knew him but-  
Natsu knew things...  
And then he didn't.  
Like, Natsu knew that fire was destructive, he just didn't know how destructive until his house burned down due to a training exercise.  
And Natsu knew that Ezra was scary, but he didn't know that she was like that because she thought of him as a younger brother.  
He also knew that Gray was incredibly irritating, and he did know that Gray was like that because Gray knew that Natsu knew that Gray knew that it really pissed Natsu off when-  
When Gray was around, really.  
But the other mages in the guild also knew things. They knew almost everything that Natsu knew and lots more that he didn't.  
They knew that Natsu would never be able to control his temper.  
They knew that Natsu would protect his nakama even if it killed him.  
They also knew, partially due to Mira's troublesome meddling, that there was no spell nor charm nor potion that would enable Natsu not to fall for his curvaceous partner.  
And she for him.  
But they didn't know that Natsu knew something that they didn't.  
Natsu knew that his pre-mentioned partner had smiles.  
Five smiles, to be exact.  
And one rainy day when he was stuck in the guild hall with nothing to do and Lucy shot him another one of those infuriatingly confusing quirks of the lips, he decided that he was going to do something that had never been accomplished, or even tried, before.  
Natsu Dragneel was going to find out what each and every one of Lucy Heartfilia's smiles meant.  
And he'd do it. All. By. Himself.

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_**AN/ **_**So even though I hate putting these things on the page I believe that I owe some people a few apologies.  
Sorry.  
I didn't mean to make it look like I died, but I do have a good reason!  
As soon as I finish it (which may be a while) I'll be posting a legacy of a story!  
It's HUGE- like 20k and I'm only a quarter of the way through it (okay, it's not that big)!  
But until that is finished you will all have to settle with this rather awesome (if I do say so myself) 6 chapter story. I do hope you all enjoy it!  
~Steph  
**


	2. Smile No 1

_**Disclaimer- I don't own Fairy Tail, OKAY! And it'd be real great if I didn't have to write this everytime I post a story and rub salt in my wounds! Well *sniff* here we are anyway with the first smile.**_

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**Smile Number 1  
Lucy's I-Really-Want-Something-From-You Smile**

Natsu got straight to work on studying Lucy's smiles the next day; he didn't even have to wait long for the first one.  
Lucy had decided that she would drag Natsu down to a magic shop early in the morning so she could see if they had another celestial key to add to her ever-growing collection.  
Why Natsu had to be there, he didn't know, but it did give him the perfect chance to see Lucy demonstrate her first smile.  
"Good morning!" Lucy chimed as she dumped a grumpy Natsu on the floor.  
He hadn't appreciated being woken up so early in the morning but Lucy insisted that she had to get to the opening of the new magic shop before anyone else could snatch any keys out from under her nose.  
Natsu probably would've pointed out that she was the only person in all of Mongolia that wanted celestial keys but she had shot out the door with him in tow before the words could escape his lips.  
"Good morning to you too, little lady," the store keeper replied from the register. "I didn't expect to see anyone here this early!"  
"Oh, well," Lucy said and Natsu's eyes shot to her face as her lips curled upwards. "You see we were just passing by when we saw this neat little store, and I remembered that I've been looking for something recently."  
Natsu would've objected to the whole 'passing by' idea, but his stomach was too busy trying to decide whether being dragged by Lucy at a million miles an hour was a form of transport.  
So far, yes.  
"And you see," Lucy was going for full coercion mode on this one; hands clasped at her front and everything. "I haven't been able to find any anywhere else, and I was hoping that you might have some?"  
Natsu, having finally recovered, watched as Lucy attempted to get what she wanted.  
"What are you looking for, miss?" the shop keeper tried to keep his eyes on Lucy's face, failed for a moment, and then regained his control.  
Natsu unconsciously clenched his fists.  
"I was wondering if you had any celestial keys?" Lucy fluttered her eyelashes and smiled.  
_That_ smile.  
The shop keeper released his breath and relaxed.  
"Sorry miss, them celestial keys are mighty hard to find, and even harder to get," the man shrugged. "Don't have any, sorry."  
Lucy's shoulders dropped and she pouted.  
"No even one?"  
"Nope, my apologies miss."  
"Oh, sorry for bothering you. Thanks anyway," she sighed and turned towards the door.  
She caught a glimpse of Natsu's eyes on her before he was clambering to his feet and resting his hands on his head.  
"So, can we go to the guild now?" he asked. "I'm starving!"  
"Yeah," Lucy replied and giggled when her stomach rumbled. "Running out of the house without breakfast was a pretty bad idea, huh?"  
"See you later Mr Shop Keeper!" Natsu called over his shoulder as they departed from the store.  
"I have a name you know!" the guy cried but Natsu and Lucy just kept walking.  
"So, what's for breakfast?" Lucy asked.  
"Why are you asking me?" Natsu scratched his head.  
"Uh, because, seeming you blew up half a town on our last job, I didn't get nearly enough money to pay for my rent and feed me for more than a few days!" Lucy said as they neared the guild. "And seeming that you stay at my place all the time and not pay rent I was thinking that you could buy me"-  
"No."  
"Aw! Com'on Natsu! Just this once?!" Lucy begged and pouted slightly.  
Because no matter what, she would never use her I-Really-Want-Something-From-You Smile on her best friend.  
Partially because she didn't want to, but mostly because it didn't seem to work on him.  
And she liked it like that.

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_**AN/ Okay guys, I'm seriously sorry for making you wait so long for such a scrawny chapter. HaHa, there's acutally quite a funny story behind it. See, I was going to post another chaopter, like, two days after the first one but my best friend practially kidnapped me and forced me to stay at her place for three days. And then I was going to post it yesterday but I got really really sick (thanks mum) and that's how I can post this chapter now, in the middle of the day (I live in Aus).  
I would like to thank amy23000, who was the first follower of this story, and Wasabi-kun, who was the first reviewer. When I got messages about this story half an hour after it's posting I practically squealed. I also want to thank anyone else who has taken the time and effort to read, favourite, follow or review this story. It serously makes my day. **__**  
And on a final note, hopefully the next chapter won't take nearly as long (cross your fingers for Wednesday) and that no more fatal diseases will circulate my household. BYE!  
**__**~Steph**_


	3. Smile No 2

**__****Disclaimer- I don't own Fairy Tail but I do own Lucy's Smiles... Kind of, seeming they're Lucy's. **

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**Smile Number 2  
Lucy's This-Is-So-Embarrassing-I-Can't-Believe-I-Know-You Smile**

Lucy's confession to lack of rent money the day before drove Erza to declare that the five of them were going on another job.  
"And this time," she continued softly. "If anything is broken, the breaker will feel the destruction... Tenfold."  
Gray and Natsu nodded nervously with their arms clasped around each other's waists.  
"A-Aye!" they both trilled and Erza nodded her approval.  
"Okay then," Erza turned to the unusually silent Happy and Lucy. "Com'on you two, no time for dawdlers!"  
"Aye Ma'am!" Happy saluted quickly and dived into the train.  
The boys soon followed; Natsu got on without a single complaint and only turned a little green at the idea of travel. Erza was extra scary today and that was so much more frightening that the thought of motion sickness.  
Erza gestured to Lucy to board the train and the celestial mage quickly zipped to the compartment that Gray, Natsu and Happy were currently occupying. Lucy sat in the window seat next to Gray and across from Natsu who was already turning a pale green at the thought of a moving train.  
"Ugh..." he moaned. "I really shouldn't have had that big breakfast this morning, I feel super sick."  
"Well, don't throw up on me," Gray muttered Lucy's normal line as she stared out the window.  
It was a nice day, the sky was blue and she was stuck in the train with these three-  
"Maybe I will," Natsu muttered under his breath as he pressed his already warm face against the cool window.  
"What'd you call me Flame Breath?!" Gray cried.  
"I didn't call you anything, loser!" Natsu snapped, anger overriding his illness.  
"No, I heard you say something about me just then!"  
"What?! Loser?"  
Lucy paid them no heed except to be mildly impressed that Natsu hadn't noticed that train had started to move.  
"Take that back!"  
"Make me!"  
And then it started.  
Fire and ice met to fill the room with steam as condensation quickly gathered on the windows. Lucy didn't mind that, but what she did mind was the large chunk of ice that hurtled through the window beside her face.  
She jumped back with a screech as the window shattered but neither of the boys paid any heed to it as the nice day flooded inside the carriage. Happy had wisely fled the compartment at the first sign of a fight and had left Lucy to deal with his best friend and Gray.  
"Guys!" Lucy cried, but it went unnoticed by both of them.  
A thumping in the hall alerted Lucy to the presence of the conductor who was standing in the doorway with wide eyes.  
Lucy shot him an apologetic smile which Natsu caught sight of in the corner of his eye.  
He froze and stared for a moment as Lucy shot him an even stranger look when she noticed his immobile state. Unfortunately, Gray, taking advantage of his stunned opponent, chose that moment to knock Natsu through the door and into the conductor in the hallway.  
_"NATSU!" _the voice of a beast roared._ "GRAY!"_  
Natsu, whom had finally realized that the train was moving, was paralysed with stomach cramps and therefore had no defence to speak of as Erza's foot came out of nowhere and booted him down the hall.  
Gray shook in fear beside Lucy as what appeared to be a demon from hell appeared in the doorway.  
"Gray... What did I just say about breaking things?"  
It was an innocent question (okay, not _really_) but the implication was enough to make even the manliest man shiver.  
"Um... Something about... Uh, tenfold?" Gray mumbled.  
"That's right Gray," Erza said softly. "Whomever destroys something will feel the destruction... Tenfold."  
Then Erza, with a sword magically appearing in her hand, lunged for the stripee (whom was down to his boxers in his nervousness) just as he managed to dodge out of the way and down the carriage.  
Lucy stood with a sigh and made her way over to the dazed conductor.  
"I'm sorry," she apologised and tried to help him up, but the man recoiled from her touch and jumped to his feet all on his own, before taking off down the hall in hopes to escape the insanity of the three mages.  
Lucy scowled before wandering over to Natsu who was definitely starting to feel the motions of the train. She knelt down beside him as there was another crash and a screech.  
_"GRAY!"_  
"IT WASN'T MY FAULT!"  
Natsu blinked drowsily up at his partner as she rested her forehead in her palm with a groan.  
And with a smile.  
No one was really ever the receiver of Lucy's This-Is-So-Embarrassing-I-Can't-Believe-I-Know-You Smile, it was more to herself, but it didn't mean that Natsu never saw it.  
Lucy turned back to her friend, catching sight of his eyes on her, before the train went over a bump and Natsu's cheeks swelled up.  
"We better get you back to the compartment," Lucy sighed.  
Natsu just groaned and let his eyelids flutter shut, succumbing to the darkness.

Natsu woke an hour later with his head in Lucy's lap and her fingers combing through his hair as she stared absently out of the window. He was feeling much better but he had decided that the feeling of Lucy's fingers against his scalp was relaxing enough to keep him there for a few more hours.  
Because what were friends for if only to embarrass them and then take advantage of their kindness.  
At least, to Natsu they were.

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_**AN/ Wooho! Thursday! Gimmie this guys, it's pretty damn close to Wednesday, right? Well, I'm still sick and my friends still don't believe me but what can a girl do? Post another chapter! Thanks again for all the nice reviews and such! You guys really know how to make a girl's day! ****I hope you enjoyed the chapter and that you're as keen as I am for Lucy's Third Smile!**_

_**~Steph**_


	4. Smile No 3

******__****Disclaimer- I don't own Fairy Tail, nor any other of Hiro Mashima's master peices.**

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**Smile Number 3  
Lucy's I'm-Not-Okay-But-I-Don't-Want-You-To-Know-That Smile**

Their job was brutal. Erza had chosen it because it was pricey enough to give Lucy enough rent for a few months, even if two particular numbskulls decided to blow the place sky high.  
Thankfully, it didn't come to that, as the two boys had been so focused on defeating this enemy that there was no chance to level any cities, but there was the reason why they were focused.  
He was strong. _  
"'Pick a Fairy, make it two,  
Pluck their wings and shoo, shoo, shoo.  
But they won't get all that far,  
When you put them in a jar!'"_  
Plus his rhyming sucked.  
"Would you just SHUT! UP!" Gray yelled as he flung another ice hammer at the dark mage.  
"Would you like another?" the evil man giggled crazily as he danced out of the way.  
_"'Where is the hell that I can't see?  
It's in my head rather oddily'"-_  
"That doesn't even make sense!" Natsu cried before launching a series of fire fuelled jabs at him.  
"Of course it does"-  
The mage was blown backwards by the force of the attack, his back hitting the cliff face with a crack. He moaned in pain as the four mages gathered closer.  
"Huh," Natsu shrugged and turned to Erza. "Didn't you say that this would be a challenge"-  
_"ARRGH!"_  
The three pairs of eyes shot to the blonde celestial mage as her screams became more and more pained. She was held in the air by a menacing purple mist that was hovering around her body. Her eyes were scrunched shut as her feet swung wildly, trying to find the ground.  
"LUCY!" they cried but a noise turned their focus back to the dark mage.  
He was laughing.  
"Fighting with me as the opponent was easy enough, wasn't it?" he asked darkly. "But what if you were fighting your friend? What if you were fighting with your weakest link?"  
And then the mist that was holding Lucy in the air flooded down her throat and into her body. Her struggling intensified before it stopped.  
"Lucy!" Natsu cried and ran forward, trying to grab her.  
But before he could reach her Lucy's feet touched the ground and her eyes snapped open.  
Black.  
There was none of that creamy brown that held so much emotion; the whole of her eyes were black.  
"Lucy?" Natsu asked.  
Lucy blinked before her lips curled into the nastiest grin that Natsu had ever seen appear on Lucy's kind features.  
"Natsu," she giggled sadistically. _"Na- Na- Natsu!"_  
Natsu recoiled and stepped back to where Erza and Gray were frozen in shock.  
"Lucy? Are you okay?" he asked.  
"I'm fine Na- Na- Natsu!" she chirped in that same voice that a whole guild had come to love. "I'm better than fine, I'm strong!"  
And as if just to prove her point she ran towards the three mages and slammed her foot into Natsu's stomach.  
He was sent flying backwards towards the cliff face where an injured Happy lay, and it seemed to be enough to shake Gray and Erza out of their shock.  
"Lucy, we don't want to hurt you," Gray soothed as he stepped backwards.  
"No Gray," Erza said as a sword appeared in her hand. "This isn't Lucy, and, whatever it is, we do have to stop it."  
"What?!"-  
"Are you sure about that?" the injured dark mage cackled from the ground. "It has your friend's body, it has your friend's mind, she might even be aware of what's going on right now!"  
The very idea of what that man was saying was enough to make Gray and Erza shift uncomfortably as Lucy turned her head and delivered them an eerie smile. The two stepped back.  
"We can't hurt her," Gray said. "We can't hurt Lucy."  
"It's not Lucy," a dark voice growled from behind them.  
Erza and Gray glanced over their shoulders.  
It was Natsu. He looked a little worse for wear and he was clutching his elbow painfully.  
"That's not Lucy," he repeated. "That's something evil, and it's all his fault."  
Natsu jabbed his chin towards the injured mage on the ground.  
"Do what you wish to me!" he laughed and sat up with his back to the cliff. "But, Lucy, be a dear?!"  
As the three Fairy Tail mages turned to attack the evil man a blur shot in front of them.  
"No, no, no, Na- Na- Natsu!" not-Lucy shook her finger in front of his nose. "You don't get to hurt my master!"  
She sang her words as if they were a song before striking at her friends. But Natsu was ready this time and blocked her punches before they could do any damage.  
"Erza! Gray! I'll distract her- You go for the mage!"  
"NO!" not-Lucy screamed and the force in her punches increased.  
But an angry Natsu was too strong for even this not-Lucy to take on.  
"LUCY!" he cried as he blocked another one of her hits and stopped her from defending her master. "I'm not going to hurt you!"  
"Hurt me?" the blonde girl laughed. "You'll have to catch me first!"  
And Natsu had to give the girl this- She was fast. She zipped and dodged around him; every time he turned to face her she was behind him again. But Natsu couldn't give up, he could hear the sounds of Gray and Erza taking on the dark mage and he had to keep Lucy away.  
Then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught the flash of blonde hair and he dived.  
Natsu grabbed Lucy around the waist and pulled her to the ground. A small shriek escaped her lips before Natsu had her pinned with her chest to the ground.  
She struggled uselessly for a moment before her limbs relaxed. A sob erupted from her chest and Natsu's eyes widened in alarm as his friend proceeded to cry in front of him.  
"Natsu," she cried. "W- Why are you hurting me? Please, let me up."  
Natsu almost did. It was Lucy's voice coming from Lucy's lips and it hurt him to hear her plead like that, even for a moment. But he was saved at the last minute.  
Just as his hands slackened from around her arms there was a piercing scream and then silence. Erza and Gray had been fighting the dark mage while Natsu had been distracting Lucy and their battle had finally ended.  
The not-Lucy let out a screech, too much like her master's, before convulsing as the dark purple mist poured from her mouth.  
As the last of it faded into the sky Lucy coughed and sucked in several deep breaths of fresh air. Natsu slid off her back and wrapped his arms around her waist, supporting her against his chest.  
"Luce? Lucy?" he asked.  
"... Natsu?" she replied breathlessly and opened her eyes.  
Brown, like melting chocolate.  
"Lucy!" he cried and pulled her tighter against him. "I'm so sorry! Are you okay? Are you hurt? I'm sorry!"  
Natsu stared into his friend's eyes as she gave him a small smile and he frowned at the pain that she hid behind it.  
"I'm good now that all that... Stuff is out of me," Lucy replied.  
But Natsu didn't believe her, and neither did Erza, who was cradling the injured Happy, or Gray when he came over.  
Because everyone could see through Lucy's I'm-Not-Okay-But-I-Don't-Want-You-To-Know-That Smile, but they didn't tell her. They just helped in whatever way they could.  
Gray brought her a bottle of water. Erza took Lucy's bags.  
And Natsu carried her back to the town under the pretence of letting her sleep.  
They'd keep doing this until Lucy realized that she could tell them anything, that they didn't think that she was weak when she got hurt or when she cried, because Lucy was the bravest of them all.  
Because Lucy would do anything to protect her nakama, even when the odds were stacked against her, and that's what Fairy Tail was all about. That was the kind of bravery that they all treasured.


	5. Smile No 4

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, at all. :(**_

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**Smile Number 4  
Lucy's You-Guys-Make-Me-Happy Smile**

Two days after returning home from their mission almost everyone was back to normal. Happy had miraculously recovered upon the sight of Charle and the rest of the team only had a few bumps and bruises, nothing too serious.  
Except for Lucy.  
Lucy had been the worst affected from the battle. Aside from the huge gash that trailed down her arm she refused to talk about what had happened. About how the dark mage had taken control of her body.  
And whenever anyone asked if she was okay it often just lead to that phony smile and the muttered reply of-  
"Natsu, I'm fine!"  
Okay, so one person was more persistent than the rest.  
"No you're not!" Natsu cried, making the rest of the guild wince as they watched the tension start to build once again. "You're not fine! Just say anything but 'fine'!"  
The two of them were standing now, fists clenched at their sides and bitter scowls etched on their faces.  
"You always say fine," Natsu muttered as he crossed his arms. "Especially when you're not, and I don't like it. Why can't you just say what you are?"  
"WEAK!" the cry echoed through the silent guild. "That's what I am, Natsu! I AM WEAK!"  
Lucy was almost at the point of tears and if she clenched her fists much harder she'd draw blood.  
"I'm the weakest link, Natsu! That's exactly what he said! And that's why he chose me!"  
Natsu was frozen in shock as Lucy ran past him and out of the guild hall, angry tears starting to pour from her eyes.  
The doors slammed, leaving everyone in an eerie silence.  
"Wow," Gray said from Natsu's left. "Great job Flame Brain."  
"Shut up Gray," Erza snapped before turning to Natsu. "Natsu"-  
"Lucy's not weak," he said. "She isn't."  
Erza stood and placed a comforting hand on the Dragon Slayer's shoulder.  
"We know Natsu," she said. "But I don't think Lucy understands that."  
The comment seemed to make Natsu perk up.  
"Then why don't we make her?"

Lucy's apartment was totally silent except for the sobbing coming from the bathroom.  
"Weak," she muttered to herself as she sank deeper into the warm water. "That's all I am."  
A loud knock from her door made her sit up.  
Please go away, she thought.  
It repeated.  
Lucy sighed and stood from her bath, quickly pulling a towel around her torso to dry herself.  
"I'll just be a moment!" she cried, her voice slightly croaky from the tears.  
There was a reply but it was too muffled for Lucy to make out as she pulled her clothes on. She quickly made her way through the living room and to the front door. She hoped that her eyes weren't too red before opening the door.  
"Oh," she muttered bitterly. "It's you."  
"Hey," Natsu shifted uncomfortably in the doorway. "Can I come in?"  
Lucy thought about just slamming the door in his face but...  
But that was _really_ mean.  
So she scowled instead.  
"You've never asked before," she said. "Why now?"  
"Well," Natsu sounded really nervous. "I've got something important to show you."  
"Where?" Lucy asked.  
Natsu looked directly at Lucy for the first time.  
"Here of course."  
And the he slipped past her and into her home.  
"Hey!" she cried. "I didn't say yes!"  
"But it's right here!" Natsu whined as he stood next to her window.  
And then stuck his head out and gestured wildly with his arms.  
"What are you doing?" she asked curiously.  
"Come see Lucy!" Natsu yelled over his shoulder. "It's all for you!"  
Lucy stepped next to Natsu and, with an uncertain breath, stuck her head out the window.  
"YOU'RE _**NOT**_ WEAK LUCY!" the crowd below her apartment window yelled.  
It was Fairy Tail, it was the whole guild, it was everyone.  
Everyone she loved.  
Levy had used her Solid Script magic to create bold letters in flashy colours saying '**NOT WEAK**' and '**STRONG**' and '**AWESOME**' along with other things in explosive colours, while Happy and Charle flew overhead with baskets of confetti, throwing it over Lucy and Natsu. Some of the other members had also set off some fireworks in an attempt to lighten the celestial mage's mood, although, if the smoke was anything to go by, not all of them had gone so well.  
Lucy gasped, her hands covering her mouth and her eyes bright with disbelief.  
"You- You guys!" she laughed. "You did this for me?"  
And Natsu's eyes were immediately glued to her lips.  
She was smiling again.  
"Well, we didn't yell _'Natsu'_ now, did we?!" Gray called out, earning him a few laughs and a punch from Erza.  
Yeah, he was out for the night.  
"Actually," Levy yelled. "It was Natsu who came up with the idea."  
Lucy pulled back in shock and turned to her partner, catching a glimpse of his eyes on her before they flitted away and a red flush crossed his cheeks.  
"Really?" she asked breathlessly. "You did this?"  
"Uh... Yeah, kinda," he rubbed the back of his neck. "I mean, everyone else wanted to help and they"-  
But Natsu couldn't finish. He was almost knocked off his feet as Lucy flung her arms around him and squeezed tightly.  
"Thank you!" she cried as happy tears soaked into Natsu's vest. "Thank you so much Natsu!"  
And Natsu just smiled and hugged her back.  
Because Natsu would do anything to see Lucy's You-Guys-Make-Me-Happy Smile, it was may have been his favourite one.  
If it wasn't for the last.

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_**AN/ Wow, I'm really making a habit of these, and posting late (sorry)- So here's my promise. I promise that I won't put an Author's Note on the next chapter and that I'll post it on Sunday, no matter what!  
I will! Really, I promise-  
Fine, don't believe me.  
So have you been counting with me? This is Smile 4. One to go. It makes me kind of sad, but really happy at the same time, because number 5 is my FAVOURITE! Betcha can't wait till Sunday.  
So I'll end this here, everyone wish me good luck for my L's test next week.  
That's right I'll be driving soon... With my parents sitting next to me... BUT I'll be the one driving and that's what counts.  
I should get back to class even though I've already finished my SAC... Who knew that FanFiction wasn't blocked here!  
Goodbye~ Writing this story and having all of you guys read it has been the most fun I've had in ages!  
BYE!  
~Steph**_


	6. Smile No 5

**__****Disclaimer- I say that I don't own Fairy Tail, but, really, who knows... Now proceed with the final chapter!**

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**Smile Number 5  
Natsu's Smile**

Of all the smiles that Lucy had ever given, Natsu found the last one the most puzzling. The first reason being, this smile was only for him.  
Natsu had already named and explained four of Lucy's smiles to himself but, for the life of him, he couldn't work out what this last one was for!  
As he sat in the guild and tried to work out the singular reason for Lucy's final smile's existence the smiler herself wandered over.  
"Hey Natsu," she said with a slight frown. "Are you okay?"  
She sat beside him and leaned forward, carefully resting a hand on his forehead. She also very carefully, but unconsciously, pressed her chest against Natsu's side.  
Natsu could practically feel the heat rush to his face, which did not help Lucy's concern as she ripped her hand back from his scorching forehead.  
"I guess that was kind of dumb, huh?" she laughed lightly. "You're always a hundred and ten degrees."  
Natsu stared at her for a moment before ripping his attention away from the blush on her cheeks and towards her question.  
"Oh, uh- Yeah. Dumb."  
"Are you sure you're okay?" Lucy's eyes had narrowed suspiciously when Natsu hadn't answered in a reasonable amount of time. "You've seemed very... Distracted lately."  
Lucy knew that she was wrong. For the last couple of days Natsu had been more focused than she'd ever seen him. It's just...  
"I'm not distracted," Natsu said as he looked up at his extremely pretty best friend. "I'm just"-  
"Why do you keep staring at me?!" Lucy blurted.  
Natsu looked nearly as surprised as Lucy felt.  
"I mean," Lucy continued and couldn't help but notice that Natsu's gaze stayed on her face, but he wasn't looking at her eyes. "Every time I've looked up in the last couple of days you've been staring at me."  
Lucy fiddled with the hem of her favourite shirt in embarrassment.  
"Oh, I was just looking at your smiles," Natsu happily fixed that misunderstanding.  
Sadly it just made Lucy more confused than ever.  
"My... Smile?" she asked.  
Natsu shook his head.  
"_Smiles. _You have five of them," he said.  
Lucy tried to wrap her mind around what her nakama was telling her.  
"So, I have five smiles?" Lucy took his furious nod as a yes. "And that's why you've been staring at me?"  
"No," Natsu said. "I was trying to figure out what they were for."  
Lucy's lips started to curl into a smile but immediately turned into an embarrassed blush when Natsu started to watch intently.  
"So what did you find?" Lucy squeaked.  
Natsu blinked and looked Lucy in the eye. He hadn't planned on telling anyone but, if anyone had a right to know, it was Lucy. They were her smiles.  
"Well the first smile- You only use it when you want something from someone," Natsu said. "And you do that chest thing as well."  
Lucy's blush reached such a level of red that Reedus looked at his pallet and frowned when he realized that it wasn't there.  
"And your second smile only shows up when the rest of us have done something awesome, but you think it's stupid," Natsu pouted. "You use it around me and Gray a lot, but it's for yourself."  
Lucy huffed and rolled her eyes. She'd become very familiar with that smile.  
"I don't like your third smile," Natsu's gaze hardened a little. "It's always pained; you use it when you don't want us to know that you're hurting. But we know anyway."  
Lucy didn't give any reaction this time, instead she noticed that the guild was eerily silent...  
"Your fourth smile's the nicest," Natsu said. "It shows that you're really happy, it doesn't mean anything else. It's pretty."  
Lucy blushed and a smile flitted across her lips.  
Natsu's eyes widened.  
"That's it!" he cried. "That's the fifth smile!"  
Lucy leant backwards as Natsu tried to get a closer look. The guild was definitely too quiet, she decided.  
"Umm, Natsu?"  
"What's it for?" Natsu ignored her. "I don't understand."  
"Natsu," Lucy looked around at their nakama. "Everyone's watching."  
Everyone was.  
Gray and Juvia sat at a bench staring with wide eyes. Happy had tried to fly over to his adopted father earlier, but Charle had distracted him far too easily, preventing him from ruining the sweet scene. Cana and Macao held mugs of beer to their lips but they weren't guzzling it down like they normally would. Even Mira was frozen, although not of her own will... Lisanna had a hand firmly clamped over her sister's mouth while Erza and Levy were trying to hold the bartender down.  
"Oh," Natsu frowned as he looked around. "But why would they do that?"  
It was too much for Mira as she collapsed into a dead faint. Erza quickly caught her and Wendy rushed over, attempting to fan the older woman.  
"Umm..." Lucy sighed. "Maybe it's because you're practically straddling me?"  
Natsu looked at how he was hovering over Lucy and then at how the flush from her cheeks had travelled down to her neck and her-  
"Oh, sorry," Natsu pulled back quickly and suddenly rather nervously as he scratched the back of his head.  
All the members of Fairy Tail let out a collective sigh of disappointment as Natsu removed himself from the intimate position. Most of them returned to what they had been doing beforehand (laughing, talking, drinking each other under the table, etc.) except for Mira and the girls looking after her. First she'd have to be revived and then someone would have to tell her the disappointing news.  
Wendy would probably do it; maybe the girl's cuteness would be able to sedate Mira's infamous rage.  
"So, will you tell me?" Natsu mumbled, drawing Lucy's attention back to him.  
"What?" Lucy frowned.  
"Will you tell me what that smile's for?"  
That exact same smile graced Lucy's lips once more, causing Natsu's eyes to widen.  
"What do you think it's used for?"  
"I don't know," he said. "You don't use it much and only around me, never anyone else. Why? I don't understand?!"  
"What's its defining characteristic?" Lucy urged.  
"Huh?"  
"What makes it unique?" she explained with a roll of her eyes.  
Natsu thought for a moment.  
"You only use it around me," he said.  
"So I guess one could say that it's Natsu's Smile?" Lucy hinted.  
Natsu thought for another moment and for a moment Lucy entertained the thought that his brain might overload if he kept this up for much longer.  
"My smile..." Natsu murmured. "I like the sound of that!"  
Lucy rolled her eyes and her lips curled up again as Natsu completely looked over what she was trying to say.  
But, you know what? Lucy didn't mind going two steps forward and one step back with Natsu Dragneel. He'd get there eventually, just at his own pace.  
And as Natsu's own lips were graced with a smile so sweet that it rivalled her own, she started to think that maybe Natsu was more insightful than anyone else gave him credit for. Lucy didn't even know that she had five smiles, let alone did she expect Natsu to notice!  
And, for a moment, she wondered how many smiles Natsu had, before shaking her head hurriedly.  
That was a stupid thought. She knew all of Natsu's smiles! While most of them were just overconfident grins, she knew that there was one that held enough affection in it that it made her heart throb.  
Just one.  
_  
Lucy's Smile.  
_

* * *

**_AN/ I know that I said I wouldn't write an Author's Note but this is the last chapter and I'm so sad! I want to thank everyone who reviewed, favourited, followed or even just glanced at this story... It's been a real honour to know that you guys enjoyed my writing! I've got another Fairy Tail story in the works (more of a vague idea so don't go getting your hopes up too high now!) and just so everyone knows- There will be no epilogue! I thought about it but this story ends so well right here.  
And so, with these parting words, I leave you until we meet (in the loosest sense of the word) again!  
FAIRY TAIL FOREVER!  
~Steph_******


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